


The Only Heaven I'll Be Sent To Is When I'm Alone With You

by sevdepayne



Category: Football RPF
Genre: 2 chapters at most??, 5+1 Things, FC Schalke 04, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Goreyer, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Idiots in Love, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, Olympics, Realizing Stuff, The fluffiest fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Transfer Angst, caution: severe angst in chap. 5, it's pure fluff I swear nothing more, like there's pining but not so much, tol and smol, travelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2018-12-24 19:03:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12019068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevdepayne/pseuds/sevdepayne
Summary: Five times Leon and Max went to little trips that each would be a milestone for their relationship, and one time the milestone was in Gelsenkirchen.





	1. Oh yeah your skin and bones, Turn into something beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> Helloooooooo!! 
> 
> I have some time to spare for a few weeks, so I decided why I shouldn't be writing about my son and my son-in-law. Originally, I didn't plan to publish it but idk, the result was more than I expected. So, I decided I should give it a shot.
> 
> It's my first completed/published fic ever so I'm so sorry about any inconveniences. Also, English is not my first language so I'm sorry for any grammer related mistake in advance. 
> 
> This story will be 6 chapters, the chapters will be around 2000-2500 words. Every chapter will take place in a different city in a different country. The cities I chose are my favourite cities around the world, so I have no idea whether Max and/or Leon love those cities or not. (They should though because I chose bomb-ass locations for them)
> 
> -Except for the last chapter though but we're not there yet-
> 
> The title of the story is from Hozier - Take Me to Church. 
> 
> Also, every chapter title of this story is from various songs. This chapter's title is from Coldplay - Yellow.
> 
> Disclaimer: I definetly don't own Max Meyer and/or Leon Goretzka. They're my precious sons but this story doesn't have to do anything with that fact. It's just for fun.

 

**I. BELGRADE**

 

Leon was 18 and newly transferred to Schalke when he realized that he’s in love with his best friend.

It happened while they were travelling to celebrate Leon’s transfer to Schalke. They were on a trip to Balkans because once they were watching a quiz show on TV and the question was the capital city of Kosovo and Leon blurted out “Wait, is there even a country named Kosovo?”

So Max decided they should improve Leon’s general knowledge about things because according to Max, not knowing the countries in your own continent was a sin. Max persuaded Leon that they should make a road trip of it, and to be honest, he didn’t have to try to convince Leon that much.

All he had to say was “Please,” and look at Leon with his famous “overexcited-puppy-on-action” face. Leon would probably follow him to the deserts or that super cold place in Russia, all Max had to do was ask.

Max did all the arrangements, booked their plane tickets, made their hotel reservations, noted all the places they should visit and see. He even rented a car in Serbia, because Max decided they should go to Serbia via plane but continue the journey while driving because _You can’t appreciate all the beautiful things if you’re stuck in a plane all the time, Goretzka._

So here they were, the first day of their trip. To be honest, Belgrade was more beautiful than Leon could imagine. Every aspect of their day was incredibly awesome.

Here they were in a small café, the coffee they were drinking was heavenly, the weather was beautiful, a soft traditional Balkan music was playing on background, and the confluence of the rivers Sava and Danube was so amazing that any person who isn’t paying attention to it could easily be considered dumb.

And Leon was dumb.

It wasn’t because he doesn’t appreciate the wonders of nature or he is thick-headed to enjoy their little trip, but the sun was going down and the last bits of the day’s sunshine were illuminating Max’s beautiful features. Leon couldn’t find enough will power in himself to tear his eyes away from him, his best friends’ skin was practically shining under the sunlight, his eyes were squinting at the confluence before them, insisted not to wear sunglasses because he wanted to witness the nature’s beauty with his bare eyes.

God, Leon was so fond of the look on Max’s face when he was trying not to miss anything. He looked like a kid watching his favorite cartoon on Saturday morning, with his all wide-opened eyes and slightly parted lips. Sometimes a few mumbled words escaped from his lips, Leon never understood them but it was a cue for him that Max was zoning out. It felt so natural for Leon to stop what he was doing and focus solely on Max, counting the sips he took from his latte without tearing his gaze away from the view, counting the sighs he let on, listening as he hummed the lyrics of the song in the background even though the only word he knew in Serbian was “Hvala vam”, so basically he was just trying to reciprocate the words he was hearing and hoping for the best.

Max was such nerd and Leon cannot believe that nerd was the most important person in his life.

Even though it is a tourist area, the café was peaceful and quiet. The corner table they were occupying was far from the sight, and the waiters or waitresses weren’t bothering them unless they needed something. Leon made himself a mental note to leave them a hefty tip, because if anyone would bother him when he was admiring his favorite person he’d be extremely annoyed. Max was still observing the view, sometimes smiling to himself a little. Leon wondered what was he thinking to make him smile so sincerely, but he didn’t ask. The moment was so perfect, ruining it with talking or asking questions could be considered a sin.

And Leon wanted this moment to last forever.

The realization hit him unexpectedly and instantly, like he was looking for his keys for the last hour and suddenly he found them in his pocket. Since the day they’ve met, Max was always there, always in his pocket.

Leon was so used to his existence in there, he didn’t realize the weight in his pocket was what he was looking for all the time.

It all made sense in his head though, they were friends since god-knows-when and both of them were practically babies then. He was considering Max as his little brother because he was just so _tiny_ Leon could throw him on his shoulder and run through the pitch without any trouble. Max was so hot headed and easily annoyed by little things at the same time, so naturally, the boys were always messing with him. It was Leon’s job to soothe him and remind him not to mind other people, because in the end, they would just annoy him more if he shows how much he truly irritated by their actions.

It felt like a lifetime ago though, Leon realized the brotherly protectiveness he felt towards Max was replaced by a different kind of protectiveness. Deep down, he knew the illogical hatred he feels when someone other than himself shows any kind of affection towards Max had nothing to do with _being brothers._ Not at all. Because;

  * A _brother_ wouldn’t feel incredibly jealous when someone was trying to flirt with their little _brother_ , in fact, they were obligated to feel happy for them and encourage their _brother_ for further actions.
  * A _brother_ wouldn’t feel like the whole room was on fire when their _brother_ was shirtless or changing. Also, Leon was pretty sure a _brother_ wouldn’t have to try as much as he has to when they were in training and the other _brother_ was stretching, his glorious ass full on display.
  * A _brother_ definitely wouldn’t stare at their _little brother_ like he was a piece of art that should be displayed in Louvre or some other fancy museum.
  * Most importantly, a _brother_ wouldn’t have to use his all will power to not to reach their _brother_ and kiss them stupidly, not caring their surroundings. A _brother_ also wouldn’t be dreaming of marrying the other _brother_ and getting a big dog and a lazy cat and adopting little babies with them.



_“They just wouldn’t do,”_ Leon thought. _I love him, I love him since God knows when._

Leon knew there was a great chance Max was only considering him as a true brother. Nothing more, nothing less. A best friend, a teammate, a brother, maybe his future best man…

But Leon was okay with this, he knew he could continue his life with being Max’s best friend and nothing more. It would probably hurt like hell, but he could survive. Because even imagining his life without Max in it was cruel. Nope, he would never do that. He would just suck it up and deal with it.

 _“If Max ever feels the same for me, he would make a move on it eventually,”_ Leon thought. Max was the most direct person he knew. If Max wants to be more than friends with him, he’d tell Leon straight away. Leon knew he could wait for it to happen. Or not happening at all.

But he was sure of one thing and one thing only: He would wait for Max till forever.

At that moment, he felt like he could burst into tears right there and then. Maybe it was because of that sudden realization, or he was too tired to repress his emotions for years, or simply because Max looked so divine, Leon just wanted to cry.

Not because he’s upset or unhappy, but because he felt so full with emotions, like he was full to the brim and some of those emotions had to spill out. They had to spill out because the way he feels about Max was so great it needed all of his body to fit comfortably. And those feelings had to fit comfortably because they definitely won’t be going anywhere soon.

“Hey, why are you crying?”

All of a sudden, Leon came back to the real life and Max was staring at him with worry in his eyes. Leon knew Max like the palm of his hand, and based on previous experiences, Max was probably thinking a million things and million scenarios at the same time right now.

“I’m not crying, why would I be crying?” Leon answered, and it was a meek attempt to lie. Not only because he was a terrible liar but also his voice trembling slightly.

Of course Max didn’t buy his lie, threw him an unimpressed look and turned his head to Leon. There was a painfully little gap between them, Leon was trying so hard not to stare at Max’s full lips but obviously failing.

“Don’t lie to me, Leon,” Max said in a voice slightly louder than a whisper, almost threatening. “You are shit at it, and I’m too smart to buy shit lies.”

Leon chuckled at Max’s confidence a little, Max was smiling at him now, too. His mockery-seriousness all went away the moment he realized that Leon is okay. But he didn’t let go of the matter as well.

“Honestly, though, why were you crying?” he asked, a little more casually this time. “Do you regret saying yes to my plans so badly it made you tear up? Hmm?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s amazing in here.” Leon said. And he really meant every word of it.

“Then what is it?”

Leon sighed. He had no idea what it is really, and Max was looking at him with an expectation for an answer in his eyes. Leon didn’t have enough strength to resist him. Even he had the strength, he wouldn’t have any desire to deny him anything.

“It’s just… I don’t know,” he sighed once more. “I just felt really overwhelmed. It’s so beautiful and peaceful in here that… It’s a shame we will leave this all behind and go back to Gelsenkirchen.”

Leon waited Max to insist a more comprehensive answer or something more, but he just nodded slowly and smiled bitterly.

Max cupped his cheek with his tiny hand as a response, thumb caressing where his tears were glistening with the city lights (the sun was already set, how Leon missed that?). Then, he stood up a little to reach for Leon from the other side of the table and pressed the tiniest kiss on his other cheek. Leon felt as if the little patch of skin Max kissed was on fire.

“Don’t worry about it, we can always come back here again,” Max said as he sat down again, voice barely audible. Leon wasn’t sure the redness in Max’s cheeks was a result of the neon lights of the café or he was blushing. He was, like, %97 sure it was the lights. He didn’t dare to believe otherwise.

For a minute or two, there was the most awkward silence ever. Max was looking down at his feet as if he was considering something, and Leon was completely zoned out, watching other people doing regular things.

“Let’s pay up and go somewhere else,” Max blurted out suddenly. He was his usual hyperactive, cheerful, over-excited self once more. Leon smiled genuinely at his best friend, felt relieved when everything between them was normal again.

They paid their coffees and Leon didn’t forget to tip the waitress more than the bill itself, and they left the café to explore the city a bit more before going back to their hotel. They decided to leave the car and come back to get it when they’re returning to the hotel, walking on the streets of Belgrade side by side, shoulders bumping, laughing every little thing with their heartfelt laughters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedbacks/Kudos are always appreciated. Also, you can find me on tumblr: sevdanedembele.tumblr.com


	2. You Got Me Cornered And My Hands Are Tied

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is from Louis Tomlinson feat. Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals - Back To You.
> 
> Enjoy!

**II. BEIRUT**

After their road trip to Balkans, they had no idea how the first half of the season passed by so quickly. Pre-season was a blur, a complete chaos including endless trainings, friendlies and media days. The only reason Max managed to survive those horrible days and the equally horrible start of this season was because Leon was always by his side.

Since Leon’s move to Gelsenkirchen, they fell into a routine so easily, like they were meant to be teammates and roommates since the beginning. Max insisted Leon to live with him, because apparently renting two separate places is a waste of money because they’d most likely never use one of them anyway. Leon was so _ecstatic_ to hear that Max wanted to be his roommate, he couldn’t believe his ears at first. After countless of _“Are you sure you wanna do this?”_ s and “ _Don’t be stupid Leon,”_ s, here they’re, living together harmoniously like an old married couple.

They’d just returned from their last training before the break, the weather was so cold they could feel their bones freezing. Despite of the fact that they had showered and put on every single garment they’ve found in their lockers, neither of them was able to warm up completely. The moment they stepped foot on their flat, Max threw himself on the nearest sofa, not even bothering to take his coat off, clutching the nearest blanket dearly.

Max was so adorable like that, the tip of his nose was slightly red, hair a mess because he was so cold he put two beanies on, still shivering slightly… Leon chuckled fondly, with a look so dumb if he could see himself in a mirror right now he’d absolutely be disgusted by that stupid love-struck expression on his face. But Max was so beautiful at that moment, Leon wasn’t even apologetic about all the staring he does. He was in love with Max, Leon figured that out in Belgrade. Since that day, he never tried to deny his feelings, he never tried to act like he doesn’t love Max with all his existence.

He accepted that fact and simply lived with it. He didn’t act on it and has no plans on doing something about his undying love for Max in the future either. Their friendship was too great to risk it with his selfish actions. Leon decided he’d act how he used to act, and if Max wants anything more from him, he’ll be more than happy to provide him that.

No, he was doing that again. He was hoping for something that won’t happen. It was his only rule that he set for himself. If he starts to hope, than his heart will break more and it’d be impossible for him to be anywhere near Max without dying inside a little each day. So, no hoping. No change of behavior and absolutely not doing anything stupid like kissing Max all of a sudden or something equally idiotic.

He may be staring at Max a little more than he used to, daydreaming more often and gazing at him like he’s watching the world’s most beautiful scenery ever, but apart from these, everything was the same as they were before Belgrade.

At this point he was sure Max was asleep already, eyes shut, breathing steady and still clutching that fluffy blanket. Leon smiled so brightly at him, it was such a typical Max behavior. He’d constantly fall asleep in an instant only to wake up in ten minutes or so. Leon decided he should use that 10 minutes productively, took off his clothes and changed into some sweatpants and a hoodie and went to kitchen to make hot chocolate for him and Max. He also added 10 mini-marshmallows on top of Max’s, just like Max always takes his hot chocolate.

He wasn’t even surprised when he saw Max woken up, checking his social media while still in his coat and scarf. He didn’t realize Leon at first, not until a mug of hot chocolate appear in front him all of a sudden. He looked up to Leon then, cracked the tiniest small and straightened up a bit to make room for Leon under the blanket as well. Leon accepted his offer happily and settled under the blanket.

For a minute or so, everything went quiet and the only sound was the content sighs Max let out when he took sips from his beverage. Leon made himself comfortable on the couch, playing with his phone and occasionally drinking from his mug. Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder, someone clinging to his left arm like a kitten. Max nuzzled up to the crook of his neck then, and murmured an unintelligible “thank you”. Leon petted Max’s hair as a response, simply enjoying his existence in where he is.

They stayed like that for half an hour or so, doing nothing, just relaxing and warming up. Max was scrolling through a travelling blog. The place he was reading about looked amazing and suddenly, he had an idea.

“Leon,” he said. “You have any plans for the winter break? Or you’ll just go visit your parents in Bochum?”

“Nah, they’ll go to Argentina for a vacation. I won’t be going though, all that jetlag and stuff isn’t worth for five days.”

Max went quiet again after that response, apparently Leon didn’t want to go anywhere this break, so he gave up on his little idea without even telling Leon about it and went back to his reading.

“It’d be nice to go on a trip though, not a place so far away but somewhere warmer. Like Ibiza or that place in Croatia you liked so much,” Leon added.

Max got up suddenly as if someone gave him electroshock or something similar with that. Without Leon understanding what’s going, Max was sitting on his lap, fists held high victoriously and excitedly.

“FUCK IBIZA GORETZKA! AND FUCK THAT PLACE IN CROATIA!” he yelled so loudly Leon was sure he damaged his hearing abilities. “And that place in Croatia is called Dubrovnik, you idiot. BUT IT’S NOT OUR ISSUE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I KNOW JUST THE PERFECT PLACE FOR OUR NEX TRIP.”

\-----

Leon had no idea how Max managed to convince him to be on the next plane going to _Beirut_. All he remembered was Max shoving their clothes to their suitcases and duffel bags, finding the nearest flight and getting on a cab to go to the airport. It all happened so fast, Leon was still half convinced that he was not dreaming.

It was dead at night when they reached to their hotel, one of the Four Seasons which apparently can be found in every corner of the world. Leon didn’t have the slightest idea when Max did the hotel reservation, or how did he manage to find a room at the last minute easily, but he didn’t care either. Max was always like that, doing twelve different things at the same time. Leon stopped wondering a long time ago about how things are done so easily when Max’s around.

Since it was a last minute reservation, the only available room in the hotel was the honeymoon suite and despite the room has a jacuzzi, a huge mini bar, an enormous bathtub and an expensive bottle of champagne, it only had one king size bed for them to sleep on. It wasn’t a problem for them though, they shared a bed so many times before neither Max nor Leon doesn’t even act like they’re bothered by it.

Leon was so tired when they got into their room, he threw himself on the huge bed without even unpacking. All he wanted to do was sleep right now, and tomorrow they could explore the city or do whatever Max wants. His wish for a good night sleep wouldn’t be fulfilled though, because soon after Max was trying to drag him outside.

“C’mon, c’mon, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO SLEEP GET UP RIGHT NOW!”

Leon let Max drag him out of the bed but he failed gloriously, considering Leon is a giant compared with Max. Leon didn’t want Max to injure himself or make him upset though, so he got up with an incredible amount of whining.

“Max, it’s like 12 am or something, we can’t go anywhere. All the places we can visit are probably closed right now,” he whined. “Just let me sleep for like 12 hours.”

“Nonsense, Leon. Such nonsense from such a pretty mouth,” Max said while rolling his eyes. “And according to that awesome blog, Beirut is known by its amazing night life.”

Leon didn’t expect that, but considering he generally doesn’t know many things regarding foreign cultures or places it didn’t surprise him much. What surprised him was Max’s eagerness to go out right now.

“C’mon, there’s some drinking we should do,” he urged Leon.

“Why should we drink now? Why is it such a necessity?” Leon asked. In return, Max only smirked.

\-----

They were drunk.

Like, so drunk Leon was sure that the bar they’re in –some place called _Floyd the Dog_ , it’s an awesome name, Leon should give them that- doesn’t have any alcohol left. How many shots did he take? Ten? Fifteen? No matter how much he had though, Leon was sure Max had more than him. He was grinning like a lunatic since his seventh shot or something, and clinging to Leon like a baby koala but he was trying to dance at the same time.

Leon thought that maybe they should take a break from all the dancing and sit for a few minutes and drink some water, but acting on it was harder than deciding. It was hard for him to walk by himself, but with Max’s weight on him as well it was nearly impossible. He managed to find them some water bottles, and asked the nice bartender where they can find a quiet place to sit for a few minutes. He lead them to a private room they can use, it was so obvious the room was reserved for a big shot. Leon wondered if the bartender is a Schalke fan or just a really nice person.

He gave the bartender a huge tip, and the man –the nametag said his name is Achmad- left the room and told them to use it as long as they want. Leon put Max to the nearest sofa, and slumped down next to him. He gave one of the bottles to Max and motioned him to drink it.

Max finished the whole bottle in like 45 seconds, and he looked so sober for a second Leon wondered whether or not he was drunk at the first place at all. But Max crawled back to sofa again, like he had no energy to sit up so Leon believed him thoroughly.  Max put his head on Leon’s lap, and turned his head to face him. He was looking up to Leon, eyes tired, cheeks slightly reddened because of all the alcohol. He raised his hand for a second, as if he wanted to touch Leon’s face but apparently deciding against it.

“Goretzkaaaa,” he said while yawning a little. “Why are you so thick-headed, Goretzka?”

Leon chuckled at the sound Max made, his words were barely making sense. “Hmm… Well I’m handsome so I guess it evens out,” he answered laughingly.

Max scowled at him for that, irritated by Leon’s lack of seriousness. “I’m serious, you’re like the most oblivious person ever,” he told him, voice a little bit louder this time.

“Well, give me an example then. I’m waiting,”

Max became quiet after that. Like he wants to say something but doesn’t know how to form a proper sentence. The little scowl on his face was cute, all Leon wanted to do was smoothen it with his fingers.

He sat up after that, crossing his legs in front of Leon. Max took a deep breath then, but maintaining his eye contact with him as well.

“Why are you always staring at me Leon?” Max asked with a voice even quieter than a whisper.

The smile on Leon’s face disappeared so quickly anyone would think that Max just told him his puppy died. He opened his mouth to answer, but apparently words decided to abandon him as well. He was just sitting there, couldn’t form the words and couldn’t tear his eyes away from Max either.

That moment Leon figured that he’s the dumbest people on earth. Like, how did he expect Max not to notice anything? How can he even manage to stay alive with that high-level dumbness?

After 30 seconds or so, he figured he should shut his mouth because he looked dumber than he originally is right now. He knew he had to panic and deny everything Max said, like _OH MY GOD WHY WOULD I BE STARING IT DOESN’T EVEN MAKES SENSE_ but he was so drunk and shocked at the same time, he couldn’t do that.

“Don’t try to deny it, you always do. You look at me like I’m the best thing in the world, like you’re the luckiest person on earth just because you get to stare at me. Don’t deny it. Don’t _ever_ try to deny it,” Max said with that low but effective-as-fuck voice.  Leon only gulped at that, looked aside. It was the end, he was so convinced that it was the end and he should find a ticket back home and take all his stuff from ~~_their_~~ Max’s place and find himself a new place. He was so convinced.

But then Max made Leon to face him once more, this time leaning even closer. “Don’t try to deny it, because I’ve been waiting for this for so long, Goretzka. So. Fucking. Long.”

Leon didn’t even understand what Max meant but he didn’t need to anyway, the feeling on Max’s lips on his and a tiny hand in his hair were a more than enough explanation for him. He didn’t know how to respond at first, couldn’t grasp the moment’s realness. _It could be a dream,_ he thought. Or he could be hallucinating because of the alcohol. Whatever that was happening at the moment, it was too much for Leon, much more than what he dared to hope for.

Because of his response, _or lack of any,_ Max pulled himself back. A hurt expression flickered across his face, this time, it was his turn to look away.

In that exact moment, Leon understood he screwed up. Max probably thought he just interpreted everything wrong. His eyes started to tear up a little as well, but Leon couldn’t tell it’s because of the alcohol or just the situation.

“Just forget it,” Max muttered. “Act like it didn’t happen. I’m sorry, just forget

it.”

Leon got up from his seat and kneeled before Max, lifted his chin with his left hand while his right hand was resting upon Max’s thigh. Even though Leon was trying his hardest to make an eye contact with Max, he was still stubbornly looking away.

“Hey, look at me,” he said. Max was still trying not to look at him. “Just look at me, please,”

Max hesitantly looked at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. Leon gave him just the tiniest smile before closing the little gap between them and pressing their lips together. He could feel Max’s smile on his own lips, it was everything he imagined but didn’t dare to hope for.

Their kiss remained chaste for a few moments, simply appreciating the moment without any further actions. Then Max grew impatient, parted his lips slightly and inviting Leon for more. Even though they were drunk as hell, their kiss was incredibly harmonious, lips fitting so perfectly, tongues dancing playfully…

After a minute or so, they stopped their kissing because both of them needed the air. Leon was so mad at the fundamentals of human body when Max pulled a little to catch his breath. He waited, _no, both of them waited,_ for so long to finally get that kiss and they had to stop before Leon had enough only because they had to _breath_. It was so annoying.

Max looked at him with the biggest smile though, and Leon was sure that smile could light up the entire Beirut, _hell, even the entire Lebanon would be fine if a power outage happen,_ Leon couldn’t help but smile back at him. Everything was a blur in his perception, except for Max. Max was there in front of him, his tiny hands are in his neck and his head on his own hands. Max was vivid, he was the most vivid thing on Leon’s universe. And Leon was so _blessed._

“Hey,” Max said breathlessly.

Leon chuckled slightly at Max’s disheveled state, he was so beautiful Leon couldn’t believe his eyes. Instead of telling Max so, he pressed a soft kiss to his temple, just because he _could_.  

Max sighed happily to that little gesture and made himself comfortable in the crook of Leon’s neck. Leon just embraced him in returned, hugging him tightly as if he anyone could take Max away from him when he let go. There’s no way he’d let Max go in any way possible.

Hell, if Max let him, he’d even follow him to the bathroom and hold his hand there.

They stayed like that for god knows how long, but their little bubble burst by someone clearing their throat. Leon looked up to see the source of the voice, a tall man with all-black outfit was standing near the door. It was that nice bartender from before.

“Sorry to bother you guys, but we’re closing in 15,” he said apologetically.

Leon nudged Max a little, and whispered his ear, “They’re closing, _baby_.”

Max rolled his eyes affectionately at him, apparently enjoying that little endearment. He tried to get up, but failed gloriously. It was impossible for them to walk to their hotel, so Leon asked Achmad if he could hail a cab for them.

Once Achmad went out, Leon helped Max to get up and threw his arm on his waist. Max was slumping a little but Leon was there to catch him whenever he was about to fall. Achmad assisted Leon to get Max inside the cab, and in return Leon gave him another generous tip.

Thankfully the cab ride was uneventful and neither of them threw up, and once they got back to their hotel they managed to find their bed and take off their shoes and clothes. Nothing was out of the ordinary when they settled under the covers, but Max shifted a little to put his head on Leon’s chest, fingers entwined. Leon’s other hand found its way to Max’s curls automatically.

“Good night, _boyfriend_ ,” Max said with a smile.

“Good night, _boyfriend_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedbacks/Kudos are always appreciated. Also, you can find me on tumblr: sevdanedembele.tumblr.com
> 
> Also, shout-out to my buddy Achmad who's actually working in that bar in Beirut! <3


	3. The Dog Days Are Over, The Dog Days Are Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note before we begin: I realized I never gave any form of timetable for the first two chapters, so in order to clarify that;  
> *Chapter 1: the beginning of July 2013  
> *Chapter 2: somewhere around the third week of December 2013  
> *Chapter 3: the middle of March 2014
> 
> Also, I know that I said the lenght of the chapters will be 2000-2500 words but I have no idea how this chapter or the one before reached to 4k. So sorry if the lenght is a little much for your liking.
> 
> Oh, and lastly, I'm afraid I'll update the last three chapters a little late. I have a proficiency exam coming up on Sunday and then I'll start my new job. Once again, so sorry in advance :(
> 
> Chapter title is from Florence + The Machines - Dog Days Are Over.
> 
> Hope you'll like it! <3

**III. BARCELONA**

The thing was, being in a relationship with Leon was the easiest thing Max ever did in his life.

It was so easy that sometimes Max couldn’t believe the change in the nature of their relationship. It was all the same as before, really. The only difference between B.B. (before Beirut) and A.B. (after Beirut) was the additional kisses, mind-blowing sex and the fact that they’re sappier now than they were before. 

Max was completely aware that he’s the luckiest person on earth. How many people out there would be lucky to _finally_ end up with their childhood love anyway? He was so convinced that he’s part of a minority. Not many people could find any form of reciprocity from the person they’ve been in love with since they were 14, and Max was so _happy_ and _blessed_ that Leon finally gets his feelings.

Honestly, Max was planning to build an orphanage or a soup kitchen just to thank the man upstairs who made it happen. Being in love with Leon without expecting anything in return from the older man was exhausting, and doing so for 4 years straight _(ehehe, straight)_ was just horrible.

Not that loving Leon is horrible, don’t get him wrong, but the idea of Leon not loving him back was just… Max couldn’t find the words to describe that terrible days (or weeks, or months, or even years).

Considering that he’s madly in love with Leon ever since he reached puberty, one would think that Max told the famous three words to Leon without wasting any time or hesitating like an idiot. Oh, they were so wrong…

The fact was, Max had no idea why he’s so afraid to say that… _thing_ he’s supposed to say. It wasn’t like he was uncertain about his feelings, he definitely had no doubts regarding their relationship, and he was completely aware that the only reason Leon still didn’t say those words is because he’s waiting Max to be ready to hear them.

Leon was so perfect like that, he never took a step without Max said _“it’s okay”_ almost a thousand times beforehand. He didn’t try to push Max into doing something he wasn’t comfortable enough, because he clearly knows that Max can be irritated by people easily. There was a good chance Leon didn’t want to push his luck.

If only Leon would understand how much Max loves him that no matter what he does, he could never irritate or annoy him.

 _“Well, if you want him to understand, you have to tell him that asshole,”_ his brain informed him.

 _“Thank you so much, I had no idea. Also, you’re the asshole,”_ he answered to himself. God, he’s even irritated by his own brain, Leon had every right to act like Max would snap at him at any moment.

He brushed off the matter from his thoughts for that moment, because they had a game to play against Real Madrid. Max needed to focus, and he couldn’t focus if all he could think was what an idiot he truly is.

\-----

The game could be described by another three-worded phrase: a major disaster.

They all knew Real Madrid would be a tough opponent, and they were fully aware that there’s a good chance they’ll lose. However, conceding six goals in front of their own fans wasn’t a thing they were expecting. That was what made the game a major disaster.

The moment the referee blew the final whistle, all Max wished was the ground of the pitch to open up and swallow him. Playing 90 minutes and making no difference was so embarrassing, he was definitely considering himself the shittiest player in Schalke’s club history. If embarrassment could kill someone, which Max thinks that it should, he would be so dead by now.

He went into locker room without making eye contact with anyone _including Leon,_ but the disappointment was upon everyone like a cloud. Max just couldn’t move any longer, he was tired and he had no energy or will to carry on. So he let himself fell down on the floor, head resting on his knees.

Max had no idea how much time he spent on that floor, drowning in his own self-pity and shame. He knew that Leon found him shortly after, but he didn’t say a word or told Max to get up. Leon simply sat next to him, threw his arm around Max’s shoulder and encouraged him to lean on. Max felt like everything will be okay when he was tucked under Leon’s arm, head resting on his chest, clutching his jersey firmly. His awful mode didn’t go away like that, but with Leon it was better.

With Leon, everything was more bearable.

Both of them were sweaty-as-fuck and probably smelling horrible, but Max found comfort in Leon’s smell. Leon was playing Max’s curls, kissing his forehead occasionally, and murmuring barely understandable things to his temple. Max was only half sure whether or not one of these things was an _“I love you”_.

When Max finally found enough strength to sit up, Leon gave him a tiny smile and kissed him for a brief moment. Their teammates and staff were fully aware of their relationship and no one batted an eyelash, hell, even some of their teammates were _ecstatic_ to see that their unbearable mutual pining is finally ended.

“Hey,” Leon said when they parted. He was looking at Max with that famous expression on his face once again, like Max is the sun and the stars of his universe. God, Max was so sure they’re the most annoying couple ever. “Let’s take a shower.”

Max let Leon to help him get on his feet, then went to their lockers to take their stuff with them. The locker room was almost empty, the only people in the room was Benni and Ralf. Benni was talking on the phone quietly,  _t ~~he person on the other side of the line was~~_ ~~_most probably_ _a certain bumblebee_~~ and Ralf was staring at the emptiness, looking rather traumatized.

Leon took his hand in that instant, his other hand was occupied with their towels and other things. Max had no idea how he got into the shower area or how he found himself under the hot stream, but the water was like a gift to his aching muscles. Soon after Leon was in the cabin with him, he was slowly scrubbing Max with an ocean-scented shower gel. Max let out a pleasant hum, Leon was pressing random kisses on his skin before he scrubs there.

After their shower, they got dressed quickly and found their way to the parking lot. Leon tucked Max under his arm once again in an attempt to shield him from the cold. Even if there could be some journalist or something, Leon just didn’t _care_ and apparently neither did Max. Both of them were just exhausted from the game, and they just needed each other to find some sort of comfort.

Ralf’s car was still there, but Benni was about to leave the stadium as well. He looked a little bit better than before, smiled and waved at them when he spotted the couple. Benni was always their number one supporter, he even planned to throw a party for them when they told him that they’re finally together. Max had to blackmail him for a few days to convince him not to do so. Instead, they just had a dinner together with Mats, so that their ~~_mom_ ~~ captain wouldn’t be sad.

“Good night, guys,” Benni told them when they reached to their parking spot. “Don’t let it get you too much.”

Max looked like he was about to cry at any moment when Benni hugged both of them. “Hey, hey, don’t be like that,” Benni said to Max. “You were great today, both of you. Don’t worry too much on one game. Go home, think about better things, okay?”

Max only nodded at him, and Benni ruffled Max’s hair and patted Leon’s shoulder. Then, both Max and Leon and Benni got in their cars and went back to their homes. Hopefully, a good night’s sleep would make things better.

Max was just about to sleep when Leon rather energetically blurted out that he has an idea.

Max laughed at that slightly, “Hmm… When was the last time you had any idea?”

“Heeey, don’t be mean. I always have great ideas,” Leon whined rather playfully. He was really happy to hear Max let out even the tiniest laugh.

Max didn’t raise his head from Leon’s chest, hugged him even tighter. “So, what’s that bright idea of yours, baby?”

“So, after the second leg, we’ll have some days off. And I’ve been thinking that maybe, I mean if you want to of course, we can go somewhere in Spain. No Madrid though, I definitely don’t wanna spend anytime more than necessary in that city. But maybe… Barcelona or Seville? Would you like that?”

Max looked up to Leon, smiled so big Leon didn’t understand why they have to pay the electricity bill because Max is the source of all the lights in Gelsenkirchen, they had to be the one to get paid.

“Barcelona,” Max said. “We’ll go to Barcelona and I’ll take a shit tons of photo of Camp Nou and we’ll visit the museum and I’ll kiss the portrait of every single player who ever scored against Madrid,”

The sudden change in Max’s mood didn’t surprise Leon considering the man always loved travelling, he was completely impressed by himself on making Max happy so easily.

“But this time, I’ll make all the plan, okay? It’ll be my surprise for you, you won’t do anything about it other than sitting your marvelous ass on a plane,” Leon said, the only response he got was Max kissing him stupidly, and the more advanced activities followed after.

\----

They were exhausted when they reached their hotel at the dead of the night. Somehow Leon convinced Keller to let them not going back to the team hotel and they took a separate flight after a not-that-much-of-a-disaster second leg, and they took the last plane to Barcelona. Max had no intention of staying in Madrid for another night, so coming to Barcelona straight away boosted their mood visibly. They were tired from the game and the flight, but a good night sleep was all they needed.

Next morning, Leon purposefully woke up earlier than Max –he had to make a great effort to do so, considering Max wakes up at even the tiniest noise-, went down to the lobby to order them an extravagant breakfast. If he used the phone in their room, Max definitely would wake up so Leon considered being seen by various people without a generous amount of hair gel on his head as a small price to pay in order to make Max happy. Then, he went back to their room to wake Max up properly.

The sight he was seeing when he entered their room was the most adorable view he ever saw, but then again there wasn’t a day he considered any random thing Max was doing as _the most adorable ever_. But Max was truly lovely like that, hugging Leon’s pillow, covered in sheets like a warm burrito, drooling a little, mumbling things on his sleep…

Leon laid down to the king sized bed again, spooning Max and kissing his neck softly. Max immediately woke up, turning his front to Leon so he could face him. He looked up to see Leon, his sleepy eyes were barely open but he had that giant smile on his face. God, Leon was so _fond_ of that smile, he immediately reached to kiss it.

“Good morning baby,” Leon said into Max’s lips, causing a bigger smile on Max’s face.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, doing nothing but kissing lazily, the morning breath didn’t bother Leon at all. They would kiss more if someone didn’t knock the door softly. Leon got up to answer the door, with much whining from his boyfriend.

It was the room service, so Leon grabbed the tray from the attendant, giving him a generous tip. Since the beginning of their relationship, Leon was fully aware of the importance of generous tips if he wanted people to keep their mouths shut. Given that they’re professional football players who happened to be in relationship with another professional football player and their careers are only starting now, that tip-thing would be a part of their lives for at least 15 years.

Leon brought the tray to their bed, setting it on both of their laps. Max demanded he should be fed, apparently his hand muscles were sore because of the game last night. The taller man only laughed at that excuse but did what he was told anyway.

After the breakfast, they didn’t waste any time even though Max whined a lot when Leon dragged him out of the shower after ten minutes or so. Leon prepared a great day for them, so he definitely wouldn’t let Max to waste any moment doing basic things like _showering._ He could shower how long he wants in Gelsenkirchen. Not in Barcelona though.

\-----

Barcelona was an utterly amazing city. Max was completely sure that there’s no way he could love a city more than he loved Barcelona.

Even _Beirut_ couldn’t match that despite its importance in their lives.

Leon was a surprisingly great trip-planner, Max didn’t expect a disaster but he didn’t expect that much of a contemplated plan either. The giant dork he happily calls his boyfriend planned their two days so thoroughly they visited every museum they should, went to every park that everyone kept recommending, ate everything they should be eating at Barcelona.

Honestly, Max loved every aspect of the city. The food was amazing, the wine was divine, the museums were entirely sophisticated (even that sex museum they went, yes), the sea was so incredibly still that Max wanted to swim a little but the water was still cold. And parks… The parks were Max’s favorite part of the city, they were so _alive_ and _colorful_.

Park Güell, Plaça Catalunya, the famous La Rambla, Sagrada Familia, Casa Battlo, Ciutat Vella, Port Vell, Catedral De Barcelona, Montjuic, Montserrat… Max couldn’t even pick any favorite among them. Well, second favorite, because his number one was definitely the Barcelona museum where he blew a kiss for every single Barca player who ever scored against Real Madrid. _He really did it._ Any other person would be embarrassed by anyone acting like Max did but Leon only laughed at him and rolled his eyes affectionately. Who he was to judge or condemn anything Max did that brought the younger man such joy anyway?

It was their last night in Barcelona though, they had to catch the 6 a.m. flight to be present at the 11 a.m. training session. Naturally, Max was a little sad to leave but he was also determined to drag Leon to this city whenever they had the time. Hell, they could even buy a house in there with their savings, Max was totally okay with that. The suburban area Leon showed him was a great place to settle after their retirement as well, they could buy it now and use for another 50 years and then their children and grandchildren would inherit it.

For their last night, Leon was again dragging Max for a surprise location to have dinner. Max just let him do what he wants to do, because apparently his boyfriend was great at preparing surprises.

The cab stopped in front of Camp Nou, and Max was already surprised at that. They came here on their first day, and the stadium didn’t have any place that could be count as a _surprise location_ _for dinner,_ it was all sports bar and tapas bars really. Max had his famous scowl on his face again.

“C’mon baby, you didn’t even see the surprise,” Leon said cheerfully. “You’ll love it.”

They went through the gates of Camp Nou, and Leon went ahead a little to talk to a security guard. The man clearly knew they’d be coming, because Max was sure that no one dares to try to go inside without any sort of permit in a regular night. Soon, the man was ushering them to somewhere, saying something to someone on phone at the same time.

The security guard said something Max couldn’t catch, and gestured them to go through a door. Leon thanked the guy with his awful Spanish and gave him a something that suspiciously looked like a 200 euro bill.

The corridor they were standing was dark as fuck, so when Leon opened the door that the security guard showed them it took a while for Max to adjust his eyes to the brightness. Leon guided him for a few steps, and then they stopped. When Max’s vision came back to normal, he was in the middle of the pitch. In front of him was a picnic prepared, right on the midfield.

Max just… He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. How Leon managed to do that? How did he convince the guard to let them in? How he prepared that picnic? He couldn’t do it that day or the day before, they were together all time. AND HOW DID HE MANAGE TO GET THEM INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS STADIUM IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT??

He blinked a few times before showering Leon with the exact same questions. Leon only laughed at the overwhelmed expression on Max’s face.

“I know someone who owes me a big favor, and that person also knows someone owed them a big favor… It goes on like that, baby,” Leon shrugged.

“And the picnic? How did you prepare that picnic? We were together all day!” Max said, almost wailing.

“Well, the people who owed a favor to the person that owed a favor to my guy also happened to be the greatest romantics ever, so…”

Max only laughed at that sentence because it was just a long ass chain of owing favors. He sat down to the ground then, dragging Leon down with him. The shorter man hugged his boyfriend before saying a heartfelt “Thank you,”

They ate their dinner casually afterwards, occasionally feeding each other and enjoying the wine once more. Max made a mental note to buy at least 5 bottles of that thing before going back to Gelsenkirchen.

“So, who’s your guy?” Max asked while dipping a strawberry into the melted chocolate.

“It’s Jan,” Leon said.

Max raised an eyebrow at that, Jan being behind all of these clearly didn’t make any sense. “How can it be Jan? He never played here,”

“Well, he didn’t play here, but he played at Real,” Leon said. “Well, he called Ramos and Ramos called Pique and Fabregas, so…”

Max’s eyes widened at that. “So, you’re telling me that you used world stars as our personal butlers?”

“Well, I guess Messi helped them to set up the picnic, too. I think the wine was his gift,”

“SHUT YOUR FACE LEON GORETZKA!” Max screamed upon hearing that. “LIONEL MESSI SET US A ROMANTIC DATE??? THE MESSI? THE GUY THAT KEEPS WINNIG BALLON D’ORS LIKE IT’S NOTHING? OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. I’M NEVER THROWING THAT BOTTLE EVER,”

Leon couldn’t help but laugh at Max’s reaction. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were like huge beads that Kaan’s mother always pins to his jersey in order to prevent the evil’s eye. He was expecting Max to react like that, but seeing and imagining were two different things.

Max started to laugh with Leon as well, because the whole situation was just _hilarious._ He couldn’t keep himself to image Messi, _the Messi_ selecting them that wine or Pique and Fabregas trying to decide between cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. God, Max would never thought Leon could be the king of surprises.

They laughed for like 15 minutes, Max was breathless like he ran a marathon in ten minutes. Leon collapsed on the ground and dragged Max down as well, both panting.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Max said while stroking Leon’s hair idly. “You didn’t have to bother that much, the whole trip was more than enough,”

“Nonsense, Meyer, so much nonsense,” Leon said. “You deserve everything I could give to you, and this is just the beginning of those things.”

The blond one kissed Leon in return, rather chaste but they could always do more adventurous activities back in their room. Somehow, he felt like shoving his tongue down to his boyfriend’s throat on the grounds of Camp Nou could be considered a _sin,_ so he definitely didn’t want to push his luck further.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Leon said after they parted. “Geri and Cesc told me an amazing spot in here, c’mon!”

“Now they’re Geri and Cesc, huh?” Max chuckled at that. “Next thing I know you three are planning poker parties and brunches.”

\-----

Okay, Max should give _Cesc_ and _Geri_ credit for their spot. It was on top of Camp Nou, they were literally sitting on the roof but it was wide enough for them to sprawl without any trouble. They could see the whole Camp Nou in front of them, and if they turned around, the skyline of Barcelona was visible. It was just _incredible._

They were sitting side by side facing the pitch, the lights were illuminating Leon’s face. Max was just examining how beautiful all his facial structure is, sometimes he even wants to throw a paper bag on Leon’s head just to make sure that no one could see that perfection other than him.

“-and in a few years after we had our time in Schalke, we’ll transfer to here,” Max didn’t even realize Leon started talking until that moment. “I’m sure they’ll buy both of us together, because their players in our positions will be old or retired in like four years and we’ll be great players then and they’ll _beg_ for us to come here. Then we’ll get a house in the suburbs, I know you liked that place, and we could have a dog and play in this stadium and you can score against Real as much as you like-“

“I love you,” Max blurted out all of a sudden. “Oh my god, I said it. I LOVE YOU LEON GORETZKA! I LOVE YOU!”

Leon turned his head so quickly Max though he’d break his neck or something equally dumb. He let out a tiny little “You do?” with that puppy eyes of his.

“Of course I do. I love you since I was fourteen, I love you now, and I’ll definitely love you till I die, I’m sure of that,” Max said while tears were illuminating his cheeks. Leon was crying as well.

Leon hugged Max so tightly that the younger one was sure one or two of his ribs were cracked but he just didn’t care. All of his bones could be broken in that moment and Max wouldn’t give a single shit about that. The only thing that mattered was Leon’s constant _“I love you, too”_ s between kisses.

That terrible lost and the not-so-great second leg didn’t matter.

The fact that they’re thrown out of Champions League didn’t matter.

So what if they’re not on top of the table? It didn’t matter either.

Right now, in that warm March night, on top of the Camp Nou, kissing the man he loves was the only thing that mattered. They were the ones that are the most important.

Oh, and Max planned to send a proper thank you gift to _Geri_ and _Cesc_ already. And Leo, of course. When they went back to their hotel, Max would definitely google “What to buy as a ‘thank you for the amazing wine gift’ to the best player in the world?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedbacks/Kudos are always appreciated. Also, you can find me on tumblr: sevdanedembele.tumblr.com


	4. And you finally found all your courage, to let it all go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo!!
> 
> I'm so sorry for it took so long to publish another chapter but my new job is killing me and I've been through some stressfull times. But here I am, back with my adorable son and equally adorable son-in-law. Forgive me if this chapter sucks, because it took me two months to write it.
> 
> The title is from The Cure - Pictures of You.
> 
> Enjoy!

**IV. RIO DE JANEIRO**

It all started with two separate phone calls.

First they called Max while they were enjoying the first days of their summer break, and Max was in the middle of his swimming session. Leon was lying on a sunbed, enjoying the sun when Max’s phone started vibrating under him. He didn’t even bother to sit up or look for the phone, just simply shouted “BABE, YOUR PHONE IS HARASSING MY BUTT!”

Max was almost tempted by not answering the phone because _hey, it was the beginning of their holiday._

When looking back, he considered himself lucky that he didn’t act in favor of the reckless side of his brain and answered his phone like a decent adult. He’d be so mortified if he didn’t and the person on the line would call him again.

He exited the pool without any sort of hurry though, water droplets were glistening on his skin and traveling down south. Leon straightened up a little just to appreciate the view a little better. His boyfriend pressed a tiny kiss on his lips before reaching out for his phone. Instead of sitting on somewhere else, he thought his boyfriend’s lap is a legitimate place to answer an unknown call. 

The number was somewhat familiar but Max couldn’t figure out whose number it was. He answered the call while his boyfriend -god, Max was so fond of that word- was kissing his neck softly, making him giggle like a little child.

“Hello, is it Maximilian Meyer? I am calling on behalf of DFB,” the unknown person on the line asked.

Max mouthed a _“It’s DFB,”_ to Leon and he stopped his one sided making out, because now he was just curious.

The man on the line didn’t talk much though, he simply asked if he would consider playing for the Olympic team, Max was so excited that he could barely say “ _yes, of course I’d love to, big honor, thanks”_ without hyperventilating. Leon was watching him with wonder, curious of who was on the other side of the line. The line went dead after courteous goodbyes, and Max just collapsed on his boyfriend. The whole situation was so overwhelming.

Leon waited a few minutes for Max to catch his breath, didn’t rush an answer or pushed him to talk. He simply waited until Max finally said “They called me up for Olympics.” Leon let out the breath he was holding, relieved since it was not bad news. He had no idea what kind of bad news DFB could give to Max, but he was worried anyway.

It took Leon for 20 seconds to understand what _they called me up for Olympics_ mean. He removed Max from his chest only to look him in the eyes before he yelled “YOU’RE GOING TO THE OLYMPICS!!”

 Well, squeaking might be a better word than yelling to describe the sound Leon made.

“I’m going to the Olympics,” Max said with a whisper, he was looking at the emptiness, still couldn’t believe what he was saying.

Leon hugged him, he hugged him so tight if he’d do it a little tighter Max wouldn’t be able to play for the Olympics. He kissed him everywhere while murmuring _“I’m so proud of you”_ s or _“I love you”_ s or _“You’ll be great”s_ in between kisses. Leon was so fucking _proud._ He was so proud of Max that he didn’t even think about himself, he suddenly forgot that he is a German football player too and there’s a chance he would get a call as well.

When they finally parted Max was smiling so brightly. Leon thought he could be burned just because he was in the direct contact with the sun. No, not because of the sun on top of them, because of the one that’s currently sitting on his lap.

That one was the brightest that he could make the sun itself jealous. That one was the one Leon willingly let him burn till he become ashes.

 

Max dwelled on the fact that Leon didn’t get his call more than Leon himself. Obviously Leon wanted to go to the Olympics and win the gold medal and of course he wanted to be with Max while doing so, but it wasn’t the end of the world if he didn’t get a call-up. It’d be more than enough if he spends his summer just cheering for Max on the stadium and be his trophy ~~husband~~ boyfriend. He was totally okay with it.

Leon insisted on they should celebrate Max’s call-up and decided to cook them a glorious dinner. He was making salmon with asparagus and mashed potatoes because fish was Max’s favorite kind of healthy food –and the only one he eats without whining about it too much-, and Max was just sitting on the kitchen counter explaining Leon furiously why DFB is the dumbest thing ever because only the dumbest of the dumbs wouldn’t include Leon on their squad. The taller one was just barely paying attention to what his adorably and fiercely protective boyfriend saying. No matter how many times Leon told him he was fine with it, Max was just rambling on about the situation. Leon let him be, he just needed to talk about his anger for a while and then he’d be his own self again.

Max’s anger was a little subdued by the time the dinner was ready, now he was just enjoying their candlelit dinner with the another bottle of the amazing wine from Barcelona (Max had no idea how these things keep coming whenever they’re almost ran out, but he was highly suspicious of a giant defender Leon befriended in Catalonia or his no-longer-in-Catalonia best friend). He was enjoying the food his boyfriend made, because Leon Goretzka was not only a great player and the living proof of sometimes DFB makes the most stupid decision, but he was also a great cook.

They were cuddling on their sofa, watching How to Get Away with Murder and occasionally feeding each other with strawberries when the second call came.

Leon just fumbled around without tearing his eyes away from the TV, well, because it was the season finale and they were so close to find the murderer. His other hand was still busy stroking Max’s curls lazily and the episode was so exciting he didn’t even check the caller ID. He was so annoyed at the caller, he was even tempted to just mute his phone and deal with it later.

“Hello,” Leon answered the phone while Max pause the TV. He blew a kiss to his boyfriend in return.

“Hello, it’s Leon Goretzka, right? I’m calling on behalf of DFB. We’ve been trying to reach you for all day. Apparently the number in our records was your old number,” the man explained.

After that, it was a blur for Leon and a torturous waiting for Max. The only answers Leon was given to the person on the line was “Yes, sir”, “Of course, sir,” and “It’ll be my honor, sir”. He couldn’t even form a proper “Good night,” while ending the call, the words escaped his lips were definitely making no sense.

“Who is it? Is it bad news?” Max asked with greatest worry. Well, his worry definitely wasn’t in vain since Leon made the whole conversation with zero facial expression.

Leon gulped before speaking, trying to look frightened just to mess with Max a little but betrayed by his own happiness, smiled broadly to his boyfriend.

“They call me up for Olympics, too,” the taller one said with that lunatic-like grin of his.

Max threw himself on Leon the moment the word “Olympics” left his mouth, suddenly Max was kissing him everywhere on his face, from his forehead to his jawline. He was breathing little sobs to Leon’s skin in between kisses.

Leon felt like he lost his ability to speak for a while, he was indescribably relieved. He had no idea how much he himself wanted to be called up, he was just busy being so proud of Max. 

And now he could be proud of himself too, proud of both of them to be able to be selected for something so big. Three years ago, he couldn’t even imagine this. He couldn’t imagine doing that well, he couldn’t imagine having Max in his arms, he couldn’t imagine going to the Olympics with him…

The Leon who was sitting outside the café in Serbia had no idea things could turn out to be that great.

“I can’t believe we’re going to Rio,” Leon said with a voice slightly trembling. He was crying a bit, but smiling broadly at the same time.

“I can,” Max answered. “I can believe we’re going to Rio, because we’re amazing and we’ll be great in there. We’ll win the golden medal and EVERYTHING WILL BE PERFECT.”

Leon let out a breath he was holding, his face was buried in the crook of his boyfriend’s neck. He held Max a little closer to him. His presence in his arms was like an anchor, solid and steady. Max was the only thing that could make him believe that this is all real, that some evil step mom or a witch in the woods would not steal this moment away from them. They were in love with each other, they were together. They started to achieve their dreams one by one, and now they both had a chance to win something huge together.

His heart was beating faster and faster every time he inhaled Max’s divine smell. That smell was his home, his dreams, his goals… That smell was all he got in this universe, the only thing that mattered. The only constant in his life…

And he got the chance win the Olympics with his constant.

His life was amazing and complete and wonderful, Leon was only looking back to his old self with fondness. They came a long way from where they began, and they had their whole lives ahead of them to do amazing things together.

The first stop to do that amazing things was Rio de Janeiro.

Both Max and Leon couldn’t wait for going to Rio.

\-----

Once more, Leon had no idea how the days past and here they were, they were on the plane departing for Rio.

The first days after the calls were full of each other, frequently occurred celebratory sex, breakfast in beds, little snacks by the pool, Netflix marathon after dinner, more celebratory sex... They didn't tell anyone at first, simply enjoyed this big step of their lives with only each other before inviting anyone in their little bubble. It was kind of like a honeymoon after a secret wedding. Well, without any sort of marriage. Not that Leon wouldn’t want marrying Max, but…

God, how great it would be married to Max... These days Leon found himself thinking about the concept of marriage and being married to the love of his life more than he was willing to admit. He was fully aware that he'd marry Max in that instant, without any hesitations. But they were in the beginning of their career, being gay and playing professional football at the same time was still a taboo in most parts of the world. So, there was no way it could work out without ruining their careers. And Leon would never forgive himself if he would be the one that gets in the way of Max's greatest dream. He wasn't that selfish.

They could wait till they've won everything they can, till they retire. They would be in their mid-thirties when their careers are over, and it wasn’t too late for tying the knot. They were kinda-married anyway, it wasn't like they would miss out on anything.

He knew that they had to wait and everything in their lives should happen in some kind of order. But this logic he established in his mind couldn't stop Leon to dream about proposing to Max after they've won the gold medal, marrying him in a secluded beach in Phuket, moving to the house they've bought in Barcelona, having three children, three dogs and two cats. He was constantly thinking about the fun activities they'd do with their children (2 boys and a girl, and one of the boys' name would definitely be Benedikt), taking them to the Schalke games, picking Christmas trees and decorating them together, organizing surprise birthdays for each other... Leon simply couldn't wait for these things to happen.

He was fully aware that being that ready for settling down was unusual for a 21 year-old. But he just simply couldn't care any less. He was lucky, he was so lucky that he found the love of his entire life when he was 15. He was the luckiest man on earth, the most favored on planet earth.

When he turned his head to the left and see that amazing person curled up on the tiny seat, head resting on his chest, stroking the collar of his shirt, Leon felt that indescribable warmness in his entire body emerging again. He brushed off a stray curl from Max’s forehead, it was a wonder how that curl always gets away with the redundant amount of hair gel. Max hummed in his semi-conscious state and held Leon a little bit tighter.

Leon was fully aware that their pain-in-the-ass teammates were taking photos of them, he could hear Davie and Jule trying to giggle silently without interrupting Horst’s sleep. Considering every single person who spent more than a few hours with them can easily understand the nature of their relationship without any kind of explanation, he definitely didn't care any of it. They enjoyed the fact that even though they cannot show every person on the universe how much they love each other, they could at least act like themselves in front of their teammates and friends. It was an opportunity their successors couldn't have, so they might as well savor for them as well.

\---

The moment they've been waiting with so many expectations lasted for only 28 minutes.

Max had no idea how he reacted when he saw Leon on the ground. He had no idea how he felt or what he thought. The exact moment he saw Leon on the ground was vivid in his memory, the expression on his boyfriend's face, the pain and anger and more pain. His eyes were teary, but Max had no idea whether it was because of the pain or disappointment. He had no idea.

He didn't know, he simply didn't know how Leon was feeling, and he definitely had no idea how he himself was feeling. Was he sad? Angry? Frustrated? He couldn't tell.

The only thing he knew was it shouldn't be like that. In all his dreams he had since the very first day they had the calls, the possibility of one of them being injured during the first half of their first game didn't occur to him, not even once. But here they were, one of them was on the ground and the other with no clue of what to do.

The medical staff assisted Leon out of the pitch, they continued until the referee ended with the first half. Max once more had no idea how those 17 minutes have passed.

Everything was a blur.

The moment he heard the whistle, Max immediately ran towards the locker rooms to find his so-much-in-pain boyfriend. Leon wasn't there, which could only meant that he was in the medical unit.

This also meant that his injury was far worse than he hoped for.

One of the doctors didn't let him go inside there, claiming it should stay sterile and Max shouldn't go anywhere near Leon without showering and changing. Honestly, Max couldn't care less. It wasn't like Leon was bleeding or anything.

"Let me pass," Max demanded angrily.

The doctor didn't show any sign of resentment at Max's tone or behavior, but he didn't let him in either.

Max felt like he was on the verge of crying, and honestly, he couldn't let himself be shattered into million pieces when Leon needed him the most. He had to keep it together, he had to be strong and reliable and supportive in all the ways he can. He had to do that, he had to that for Leon. Just for his Leon.

"Please," he could say only, with a voice barely audible, that could reflect everything he was feeling.

The doctor smiled at him sympathetically, but he was still blocking Max's way once more. At this point, Max was sure that if he had to say "Please" once more, he would start crying.

"Let the boy in," he heard from behind. Was it Horst? He sounded like Horst but Max wasn't so sure. "Five minutes. You only have five minutes, Meyer." This time, Max was sure that the voice belonged to his coach and made a mental note to not let the boys prank him for three days as a thank-you gift.

\---

The room was unnecessarily white and bright, so bright that Max had to adjust his eyes a little to see Leon on one of the gurneys, his injured shoulder was supported by a sling and a few pillows. He didn't look like he was in pain but it was probably because of shit ton of painkillers they gave him. Leon looked sleepy, but he immediately acknowledged Max's presence. Smiled at him tiredly, Leon slid a little to make room for his boyfriend. The shorter midfielder was reluctant at first, didn't want to hurt Leon more by mistake, but his boyfriend shrugged with his good arm and patted the bed.

He sat on the bed carefully, trying not to touch Leon too much. Leon just chuckled fondly and pulled his boyfriend to himself with his good arm. He settled Max on his chest, his not-injured arm was holding Max tightly. He kissed him on the top of his head and inhaled his smell deeply. Despite running around non-stop for 45 minutes, Max's unique smell was still apparent. Leon found comfort in the pine scented shower gel blended with the chemical smell of various of hair products. It made his all pain go away with an instant.

He murmured a little "I love you," to Max's temple while he was stroking his chest through his undershirt lazily, careful not to touch his injured arm. Max murmured an "I love you, too," and continued to playing with the hem of his shirt absent-mindedly.

They stayed like that for a while, none of them were able to say anything. The elephant in the room was obvious, but neither of them wanted to mention it. Max knew what was going to happen the minute he saw Leon, but Leon was holding him tightly and Max didn't want to ruin the moment. So he clung onto his shirt a little more, as if he could prevent the inevitable if he won't let him go.

"How bad it is?" Max finally gathered his courage and asked silently.

"It won't take too long to heal, but they're sending me home anyway,” he answered with a steady voice. The calmness in voice was unnatural considering he just confessed that the one thing he wanted to achieve was robbed from him, but it was probably because of the painkillers anyway.

Max didn’t say anything at that, didn’t show any reaction besides a little sniff he let on. He didn’t know how to speak without bursting in tears, and he couldn’t let himself cry. He couldn’t let himself fall apart. Not with a game to finish, a tournament to win, a boyfriend to take care of. Max couldn’t cry that moment, he could be strong and reliable and he had to carry on.

“You’ll be fine without me, Max. You can win it without me, they still have you,” Leon added when Max didn’t say anything. He was still playing with his boyfriend’s hair idly.

“I know it, I know we’ll be fine. I know we’ll win,” Max said with a muffled voice. He pressed a tiniest kiss on Leon’s chest and finally raised his head from there and looked him in the eyes. God, his eyes were so blue that Leon couldn’t focus on anything other than those eyes even if he tried.

 “It just won’t be the same without you. It won’t be the same. It can never be the same.”

How Max formed that sentence without crying was a mystery, and how Leon didn’t have a break down from frustration till then was even a bigger one. It was like a higher power holding them in one piece, urging them to move on, not letting them be ruined by the things they cannot control. Both of them had no idea what that higher power was. Was it God? Jesus Christ? Or maybe a football god, like Beckenbauer.

Once again, the couple had no idea.

When someone knocked on the door and called out Max’s name, it was their cue that the second half was about to start. Max cupped Leon’s face and kissed him for good luck, and whispered his ear an “I’m going to win this whole thing for you”.

Leon smiled at that and kissed the inside of Max’s hand which was cupping his face. “It doesn’t matter if you win or end up not qualifying for the knock-out stage, Max. I’m proud of you, no matter what,” he said while hugging him close. “Don’t pressure yourself over something you can’t fully control on your own. I love you, no matter what.”

That annoyingly insistent person on the other side of the door knocked again, and Max rolled his eyes and puffed, clearly annoyed. He kissed Leon’s injured arm softly. “I’ll see you after the game, ok? And, I love you and I’m proud of you, too.”

\---

They had a few extra days before it was time for Leon to go back to Germany. He even stayed long enough to be there for the first game that Max played as the captain of the team.

Both of them waited anxiously for Leon’s departure date, neither of them wanted to be far away from each other. Considering they were never apart for more than a few days since Leon came to Schalke, ten to twelve days of separation was equal for hell in their minds.

Here they were, spending their last hours together in their room, cuddling in their usual way, Max half on top of Leon, his head was resting on his giant boyfriend’s chest once again. Leon was doing what he likes to do the most, playing with Max’s curls and causing occasional hums escaping from his Max.  He had no idea how he would sleep by himself in Gelsenkirchen, without Max warming him up with his all existence. Leon only wished for this separation to be the longest one till death do them apart.

The TV was on and showing one of the track and fields competition but the sound was off. None of them were watching or paying any sort of attention to it, for that time only each other existed for the couple. Except the little noises they make while kissing occasionally, the room was completely silent and still. Neither Leon nor Max wanted to ruin their limited time with talking, but there was something Leon wanted to tell Max before it was his time to leave. He just couldn’t leave there without telling Max. Telling him _that thing_ he wanted to say for a long time.

While Leon was opening his mouth and closing it without saying anything countless times simply because he couldn’t gather enough strength, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from one of the team managers informing him that the car that would bring him to the airport will be ready in half an hour.

Max read that text with Leon and sighed, straightened himself up to cup Leon’s face in his tiny hands. He looked him deeply in the eyes and his lips curved upside in a little, bittersweet smile. Then, Max kissed his boyfriend with all of his existence, didn’t even stopped for breathing. He had to make do with that kiss for days, so he had every intention to take his time and properly say goodbye to Leon.

That stupid human biology kicked again and they had to take a break from their goodbye, even though Max grumbled in annoyance when Leon separated their lips. Instead, the taller midfielder pulled his boyfriend to himself more closely, heads resting together, eyes never looking away from each other.

“When I got back, I want you to be healed properly, okay?” Max whispered silently.

“Hey, don’t worry about me. They say I’ll be ready for the pre-season, so it isn’t that bad.”

After that, it was another silence.

“Also, when you get back, I’ll take you to a nice holiday. Just the two of us in somewhere calm and nearly deserted so that I won’t have to pretend that I care about any other person’s existence other than you,” Leon added. Max rolled his eyes endearingly, he was so _fond_ of how Leon always made him feel like he was the most important soul in this universe and the others.

“I like that,” he answered. “So your homework is to get better and plan us the best holiday ever. And mine is winning the Olympics. Deal?”

“Deal, but only my part. It’ll be great if you win the gold medal, but as I said before, it doesn’t matter to me whether you win it or not. Don’t pressure yourself too much, okay?” Leon caressed his boyfriend’s cheeks assuringly.

They made out a little more after that, but when Leon’s phone buzzed for the second time to let him know that he should be downstairs in ten minutes, it was also they realized the inevitable was approaching.

Max fixed Leon’s hair a little and forced him to wear his hoodie because _the planes are so damn cold all the time, Goretzka._ Then, he clung onto him like a baby koala once again. Apparently, it was his way of saying goodbye, so Leon just held him as tight as possible with an injured arm.

Suddenly, in the middle of a dimly lighted hotel room with his boyfriend who he won’t be able to see for days in his arms, Leon felt the strength he was looking for all along. Suddenly, he realized that _this was it_ , he shouldn’t go away without telling Max what he wanted to tell.

He slowly made Max to look at him, pressing a tiny kiss on his forehead first. Then, the show began.

“I’ve been meaning to say something to you for a while. And I don’t wanna leave you here all alone without saying those things to you, because I’ve held them in for so long. Just listen to me, okay? Don’t say anything till I’m done because if I stop talking, I don’t know if I can find the courage again,” he blurted out all of a sudden. In fact, if Max wouldn’t know Leon for almost a decade, there was no way that he could understand half of what he said.

Max was so surprised when Leon got down on one knee. He was so surprised that he didn’t know what to expect or say or do. He only knew that Leon was looking at him with a great intensity, his hands were warm in Leon’s hands, and all of a sudden the room was too hot to breathe properly.

“Hey, don’t panic now, okay? I just want to say you that I love, Maximillian Meyer. I love you since we were no more than newly teenagers. I love you to the tiniest bits, I love every single detail of you. I love how you sleep with your hands always clutching on me, I love how you sing Auf Uns every morning in the shower, I love how blessed you look when you took the first sip of your morning coffee, that tiniest scowl on your face when someone irritated you and you don’t want to lash out on them. I love that I get to play football with you and I have my whole career ahead of me to continue play football with you on my side. I love the fact that we have a lifetime together so that I can enjoy those little things that make you who you are, so that I can discover more little things that will make me fall in love with you more. I simply can’t wait for to grow old together and live in that house we bought in Barcelona, raise our kids in there and simply be side by side every day till our deaths. So, Maximillian Meyer, I know that we are still young and we have our careers to think as well. I know that even if you agree, we have to wait till we retire because there’s no way in hell I’m going to ruin your career and I know that you will let yourself burned alive rather than risking my career. But I want to ask you now, because not knowing your answer is making me anxious. So, Maximillian Meyer, will you marry me in the future?”

When Leon stopped talking after that dramatic question, Max felt so dizzy that he was sure someone was spinning the room just to mess with him. He had no idea what to say or how to respond to his boyfriend’s question.

In that instant, there was a knock on their door and someone (probably Horst once again) yelling “Get yourself off of Meyer and be downstairs in two minutes, Goretzka,” and once more Max decided their coach is on his “favorite people on earth top 10” list. Not because of he told them to let each other go, _God, no_ , because if it was up to Max, he would keep Leon to his side during the entire Olympics and never let him go out of his sight. It was because Max had no idea how to answer _that_ question.

Leon got up after that, he showed no sign of sadness towards Max’s lack of enthusiasm about his proposal. He just hugged Max and kissed every patch of skin on his face.

“Focus on the games, okay? Don’t think about it too much. I just asked you because I didn’t want to leave without telling you those things. I don’t expect an answer in an instant. I can and will wait for you to make up your mind as much as you need. Just know that no matter what your answer will be, I love you nonetheless,” he said.

“I love you, too,” said Max with so much power to not to cry. “I love you and I hate that I have to finish this Olympics without you by my side. But I’ll try to win it for both of us.”

“I know, baby. No matter what happens, I’ll still be the proudest boyfriend ever.”

They said their final goodbyes and Max walked with Leon to the reception, where the car was waiting parked outside. Horst was looking a little annoyed since they were ten minutes late, but for the sake of not rubbing more salt in the wound, he said nothing and only motioned Leon to hurry up.

The couple hugged once more to say goodbye once again, and the only reason neither of them cried was the simple fact that there were people other than their usual staff as well. Then, it was time to leave.

“You’ll know, okay?” Max said. “If I decide when I was here, you’ll know my answer. I don’t want you to wander around the house, waiting for my answer. I love you and as soon as I make up my mind, you’ll know. I’ll even do something drastic to let you know.”

Leon chuckled at that and hugged Max one last time. “I love you, too. Don’t pressure yourself too much. I love you, and come back to me safely.”

\-----

When Leon was sitting in their home and watching the final with ~~their parents~~ Benni and Mats, it was the most agonizing experience in his life. Not being able to be there for his Max, not being able to hold him and tell him that it’ll be okay, that they will have more chances to win all the cups they want… It simply sucked. Doing nothing and witnessing the love of his life’s utter devastation was the worst punishment that could be given to him.

The ceremony was another disaster for the losing side, Leon was barely paying any attention to it because seeing his boyfriend with that agonized expression on his beautiful face was just painful. He was looking at the emptiness before him instead.

All of a sudden, Benni nudged him and pointed the TV. What Leon saw was… Well, never in a million years he would expect that, on live TV, in front of millions of viewers all around the world. Never in a million years he would expect that Max to bring his jersey with him to the podium and holding it up during the ceremony.

“Wow, this makes you two equal with Marco and Mario on the sickeningly-in-love list,” Mats said with a grin on his face. “I don’t know if you should be proud or worried.”

Leon was barely listening anything because he was just busy with bursting in tears. Mats and Benni had no idea what to do or why Leon, a grown-ass man was crying like a little child who lost his stuffed bunny. They just hugged Leon and waited for him to calm down.

After a few minutes, Leon stopped crying and instead, he started laughing like a lunatic. For a moment Benni seriously considered smacking him in the face to make him come to his senses, but he was rather surprised because of the situation he was witnessing.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Leon said in between his hysterical laughing. “I’m sorry, but he said yes.”

Neither Benni nor his former bumblebee lover had any idea what Leon was saying. Mats left the room to bring Leon some water, because the poor lad had to come to his senses. Instead of giving the water to Leon to drink, he splashed the whole glass to Leon’s face.

“MATS JULIAN HUMMELS!!!! When I said bring Leon some water, I meant for him to drink,” Benni yelled at him.

“Don’t worry about your son, baby. He’s a big boy, he won’t catch the cold that easily,” Mats said grinning.

Even though Benni hated to agree with Mats, the water seemed to work because Leon stopped laughing like a crazy person. Instead, he was sitting on the floor and smiling to himself.

“Ummm… What just happened?” Benni asked Leon carefully.

Leon didn’t respond to him at first but then looked up to Benni and Mats. “I asked him to marry me. I asked him if he would like to marry me one day and he said he would do something drastic to let me know when he decides,” he said.

“And this, is that something drastic,” Leon added while pointing the TV. The answer he was waiting for was there in front of his eyes, 5.851 miles away, hiding in plain sight from anyone who could dare to take this away from them.

It was a defeat but at the same time, it was also a win.

It was a _yes_ , and even though they still have at least fifteen years ahead of them without actually getting married, Leon started to plan their wedding that moment.

A beach wedding with only their close friends and family, or maybe in the woods or maybe the backyard of their house in Barcelona. No matter where it happened, their wedding will be the most glorious thing that ever happened in their lives.

Leon was counting the days till that happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedbacks/Kudos are always appreciated. Also, you can find me on tumblr: sevdanedembele.tumblr.com


	5. Soon there will be laughter and voices, Beyond the clouds over the mountains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I'm so embarrassed that it took me six months to update this fic. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting too much.
> 
> To be honest, I wouldn't be able to finish this chapter if I didn't have Meggie by my side. She's the real hero here, so, thank you [ Meggie ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meggiewrites/pseuds/meggiewrites) for beta-ing this chapter and overall being my support system! Without you this chapter definitely wouldn't happen!
> 
> Also, I know that I promised you 5+1 chapters full of fluff but guess what? 80% of this chapter contains severe angst, but I'm not the one to blame for that, but I'm sure you can find someone to blame in this whole chapter. I'm so sorry for the angst in advance.
> 
> Please read the end notes after finishing it, you may find it useful. 
> 
> The title is from t.A.T.u. - Not Gonna Get Us.
> 
> Enjoy!

**V. MUNICH**

The moment Leon told him that he’ll be away for a couple of days because of a “business meeting”, Max knew what kind of business that was going to be.  


He didn’t ask for any details, didn’t even ask to which city (or country) he was going to, didn’t try to talk him out of it or anything. It was the inevitable, not just for Leon but for him, too. He was preparing himself for that day little by little ever since last summer.   


Max just hugged him a little bit tighter, kissed him a little bit more fiercely, and gave him a

weak smile that didn’t reach to his eyes. “Text me when you land,” he only said.  


He barely heard the “I love you,” that his boyfriend said as a response.   


After Leon left, Max felt like someone stabbed through his chest with a sword. Red Wedding-style. Like he was Robb Stark and he should’ve seen it coming considering their surroundings and everything that’s been happening, but like he still didn’t expect that ending. Like he definitely didn’t think that someone would betray him, come up to him and put that sword right through his chest and just say, “ _Barcelona sends their regards.”_   


Or _“Liverpool sends their regards.”_   


Okay, to be more realistic, it will probably be _“Bayern Munich sends their regards.”_ They never spoke about it but Max wasn’t dumb. He was fully aware there was 98% of chance that it would be like that.   


Because that was the golden rule of German football: Whenever something or someone just shone a little bit brighter than the others, Bayern would be all over it like the big fucking buzzkill they are.   


And if that scenario turned out to be true, Max had no idea what would happen to them. He couldn’t even bring himself to think about any of the possibilities.  


He went to their kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee from the pot Leon had brewed before he left. On top of the machine, there was a yellow post-it standing-out. It was written in Leon’s ugly-but-in-a-cute-way handwriting.  


_“minibars, expensive cars, hotel rooms and new tattoos, good champagne, and private planes but we don't need anything. 'cause the truth is out I realize that without you here like life just a lie_   
_this is not the end. this is not the end. we can make it, you know it, you know…”_   


Never in his life had Max thought that a little piece of paper and a cheesy One Direction lyric  would make the gray clouds over him disappear even for a while. It helped, really. It was like a promise Leon gave him, that they’ll be okay no matter what, that they’ll make it even though they probably won’t be even in the same country.  


_“We can make it work,”_ Max thought while standing in the middle of their kitchen, the post-it still in his hand. They could, really. They wouldn’t be the first couple that played in different teams, different countries, with different people. There were always holidays and international breaks and matchless weekdays, they could work it out somehow. After all, Germany was in the middle of Europe, at most they’d have two hours of flights in between them. Lots of people around them were in long distance relationships and they were doing just fine. No need to be that co-dependent like those annoying couples who seem like they can’t just go without seeing each other for two days.   


Okay, to be fair, they were an annoying couple just like that, but it was their time to grow the hell up.  


Of course, it’d hurt like hell to not wake up beside Leon every day. Not being able to hear him sing those awful rap songs in the shower, not being able to see Leon making smoothies for them in the mornings. The basic, daily things like those would cause him the most pain. He’d grown used to those things since the day Leon had transferred to Schalke all those years ago. It was so funny how he took these little things granted since forever, as if they’d always stay together in Schalke or would transfer to another club together. Max realized he’d never been this wrong in his entire life.    


Just like the majority of people he cared for in his professional career, Leon would go to another team to search for success, to thrive, to win trophies and medals and all the other shiny things that’d come with those. Max knew he would do the same thing, he wanted to achieve everything that could be achieved, and if it meant that him and Leon would have to be opponents at some point of their careers, that was fine. Not ideal, but fine.   


They just had to endure the separation for another ten to twelve years. Then, it’d be alright once again.  


***  


The moment after Leon went on to this “business meeting” of his, Max put his phone on silent, turned off his TV and his laptop, disconnected his iPad and iPod from the internet, and did everything in his power to make sure that he wouldn’t see what he was so afraid to see in the news. Instead, he focused on more positive aspects of life.   


He woke up every morning with a slight ache in his chest because of the cold on the left side of his bed, shivered a little whenever he rolled on to that empty side to inhale Leon’s smell in his pillow. Then, he dragged himself out of the bed, showered, each day he tried a new recipe for breakfast, from avocado toasts to smoothie bowls. He read the books he wanted to read, watched the movies he bought but had never gotten to watch, cooked a month’s worth of healthy food and put them in freezer, went to the gym in the middle of the night and no one else was there. He did everything in his power to not connect to the real world. He even made little adjustments around the house, changed the things that he didn’t even realize before.   


One thing he realized first was that they had no photos of them together on the walls. So he made this his mission, he found all the empty frames in the attic and spent a good half an hour to find all the photos they had thrown somewhere just because they had them on their phones too. He carefully placed all of those memories he and Leon had shared since the first day they’d met in that youth camp, starting from their very first picture. Him and Leon side by side, no older than 11 or 12, eating ice cream and laughing at something Max couldn’t recall now. How tiny both of them looked in those pictures surprised him; even Leon who was a giant now seemed like a baby bunny in them.   


His redecoration fling didn’t stop only with hanging photos randomly. The empty wine bottle from Barcelona now became a vase for the flowers Leon had bought for him the day before he went to his “business trip”. All the magnets they’ve bought during their Balkan trip found their way on their refrigerator, where it should be. Leon’s jersey that he’d held during the medal ceremony and framed afterwards was hanging on the wall like they’d originally planned. Their gold medals from the previous summer were now the newest accessories for their hallway wall. European Champion and Confederations Cup Champion, side by side, even though they’d won those medals separately. Just like how things would continue to happen after this season.  


Basically he filled their home with little things about Leon, about their relationship. As if one day he would wake up and find the left side of their bed empty, cold, abandoned, just like he kept finding it for the last couple of days. All of a sudden, Leon would be gone without a trace, like someone named Leon Goretzka had never come into his life, never occupied that huge place in his heart, never shared his dreams and hopes and wishes. As if someone named Leon Goretzka was only a faint memory of a sunset in a warm summer day, a peaceful sleep after a horrible game, a laugh so sincere you practically feel it’s vibrating out of your skin.  


_“Oh my god, don’t be so dramatic!”_ his brain exclaimed. _“Why are you making a soap opera out of this???  Worst case scenario, he’ll be going to England or something. That’s like an hour away, it’s not even considered a long distance.”_   


Okay, to be fair, Max knew the more logical side of his brain was totally right. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if they had to live in different cities or countries for a few years, Max definitely knew that. He’d made peace with this knowledge the day Leon went to his trip, leaving a post-it full of promises behind. Max accepted that fact. But knowing and accepting something and actually internalizing a brutal truth like this were two different things.

 

***

  
Max was doing just fine, coping in a healthy way, not crying or breaking down over something that was an inevitable. He was doing fine, really.   


Unfortunately, his state of doing fine only lasted until the day he had to call his mom so that she wouldn’t freak out. In order to do so, he had to pick up his phone which had been neglected in a drawer since the day Leon left. And because both the universe and every single news outlet in Germany had seemingly decided to make his life as hard as possible, the first notification he saw on his phone screen was from the official Bundesliga app.  
  
**BREAKING NEWS: Leon Goretzka im Sommer zum FC Bayern**  
  
There was a photo of Leon and some old man shaking hands and even though the man was so pleased with himself, grinning like he just bought a cow with for reasonable price, his boyfriend was somewhat uncomfortable with the situation. Or at least that was how Max chose to interpret this solid proof of their separation. Either way, Leon looked weird as hell in those pictures.  
  
Just a little under the notification, there was a text from Leon he’d missed earlier that day.  
  
**From Leon (12:07):**   no matter what happens,  
  
                                    I’ll always keep the promises I made in Barcelona  
  
                                    and in Rio  
  
                                    I love u and I’ll be home soon xx  
  
The moment he read Leon’s text, Max wanted to leave the country. Suddenly, the place Leon just referred as their home made Max feel like he was about to throw up. Their home, as if a place both of them were planning to leave in months could still be considered as a home. No matter how many pictures he hanged on those walls, how much he tried to make their love more visible at least in their own bubble, it was only a home for him when Leon lived in there as well. It was only a home when he could feel Leon’s existence from another room as if they were connected with invisible strings. It was only a home when Leon kissed him goodnight even though they had a fight that day. The idea that their home would be cold, abandoned, and soulless in a few months made him sick to his stomach.  
  
He had grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys before he left their home. He didn’t even put on a jacket even though it was January and everything was covered in snow. He had no idea where he would be going, but Max didn’t want to be this alone in that moment. After he had gotten inside of his car and turned up the heaters, he texted to the only person he could think of.  
  
**To der Kapitan (12:45):**   hey, I know I didn’t call you since that day  
  
                                          and I’m an asshole for this really but  
  
                                          are u still around?  
  
                                          I need you.  
  
***  
  
Max was shivering by the time he rang the bell of Benni and Lisa’s house, apparently not putting on a coat before leaving his flat had been the worst decision Max ever made in recent months. Thankfully, it didn’t take the owners of the house too long to answer their door. It was Lisa who welcomed him.  
  
“Welcome, dear,” she said while she ushered him inside. “Why don’t you have a coat on? You look like you’re about to freeze.”  
  
Max felt like a toddler who was scolded by his mom when Lisa shook her head disapprovingly like that. It was oddly comforting. She had been like that before they moved to Turin all of a sudden, and the fact that she was still the same caring, friendly, warm Lisa made Max breathe a little easier. As if nothing had changed in their lives since last September, even though one could be considered delusional for believing in that in the first place.  
  
“I kinda… forgot my coat.”  
  
“Of course you did, honey,” she answered while nodding her head knowingly. She had been in this game for too long not to know what made Max to go out on the street in that attire in the first place. “Benni’s in the living room, go ahead. I’ll bring you guys some glühwein.”  
  
Benni was indeed in the living room, reading a book, looking very relaxed but and not at all different than the day he left Schalke. The whole place, Lisa, Benni, their living room, the distinct smell of their house… It was still the same, as if someone stopped time in September and decided to restart it again in January. It was comforting for Max, he could take refuge in this house, hide away from all that has been changing around him.  
  
Benni’s voice brought him back to reality. “You look like you need a hug,” he said from where he was standing.  
  
“No,” Max shook his head. “I can’t. If you hug me, I’ll start crying and I can’t start crying right now because I won’t be able to stop.”  
  
He was determined about this even though some unshed tears were burning in his eyes, blurring his vision in that moment. So he sniffed and looked up a little bit to put those tears back to where they came from, tried to think about things that were not about Leon at all. He sat down next to Benni, focused on the living room’s interior design like it was his first time in there, and busied himself with the glühwein Lisa brought at some point without him noticing. He did everything in his power to make sure that his eyes would not betray him.  
  
If a few of those little traitors escaped from where they belong, well, it was because Max had allergies.  
  
While he was observing the walls, he realized something was missing from that room. It was something which had always been there since the first day Max set foot in this house. The wall above Benni’s enormous TV was now without the huge framed picture of Benni and Mats from the World Cup celebrations in 2014. It had been the most visible object in the living room before, and now the room felt kind of naked without it.  
  
It was Max who broke the comfortable silence around them.  
  
“I heard Mats is going to have a baby.”  
  
“Yeah, you heard it right,” Benni answered while staring at the empty space in front of him. He took a sip from his glühwein afterwards, clearly to avoid talking about this further. “How have you been? I heard the news; I guess that’s why you’re here?”  
  
Max only nodded his head as a response.  
  
“What he did… It was the right thing to do. I know this, of course I do. And I want him to succeed and thrive and win everything. I want the same things for myself too, and I know that… that in order to achieve everything we dreamed of, we need to deal with it. Deal with being apart,” he said with slightly trembling voice. “But I’m afraid… I’m afraid that we won’t be able to make it work.”  
  
At this point he couldn’t hold back his tears any longer, but Benni ignored it, only because he knew how Max was trying to look so tough but failing at the same time.  
  
“Hey, don’t say that. I’m not saying it’ll be all sunshines and cuddles and rainbows, but you can make it work.”  
  
“No, we can’t.”  
  
“Yes, you can,” Benni said, this time with more persistence.  
  
“How? How on earth will we make this relationship work when we are apart? What if they make him find someone else? What if one day he decides that his life would be way easier if he just finds a hot model and carries on with her?”  
  
“Okay, okay, stop it. You can’t start having doubts on him right now, you’re not even apart right now,” he said, motioning Max to take a sip from his drink. “You and Leon are not the first couple in this position, nor will you be the last. Lots of people did this before; you can manage the distance and everything that comes with it.”  
  
Max pressed his face deep into the cushion he was holding in his lap, suspiciously similar to a person who would like to suffocate themselves. Some muffled words came out of him, but of course, Benni didn’t understand a single thing.  
  
“What did you say? Stop trying to kill yourself in my house. I couldn’t deal with Leon if you ended up dead in my watch.”  
  
“I asked…” he said while he made himself more comfortable on the sofa, this time the cushion was his cuddle buddy instead of a suicide tool. “I asked how did you do it for all these years.”  
  
The smile Max got as a response could best be described as a mix of remorse and nostalgia, topped with a great deal of melancholy. Then, Benni finished his drink with a big gulp.  
  
“I can’t tell you how to live your own relationship, Max. It’s not like I’m the best example in this stuff, you know that.”  
  
“Oh, c’mon. Can you at least make me feel better before Leon comes back? Don’t you have a big, long, kinda boring pep talk for me in store? You used to be full of those, how come you suddenly decided not to meddle with my life, now, now when I need the most?” Max said, while looking at Benni with his famous puppy eyes. His mood was visibly better than the state he was in before he came to his captain’s – sorry, Ralle – house.  
  
"Look,” Benni said, adjusting himself a little bit to maintain eye contact with Max. He took a deep breath that usually was an indicator for an epic speech to come.  
  
“Don’t take this as a road map for your relationship. Just don’t… Cause I can’t tell you what to do with your own life, with your own career. So take this as an advice from someone who’s been in this business longer than you have been. Okay?”  
  
“Okay,” Max said.  
  
Benni cleared his throat before continuing. “The only advice I can give to you is that you have to hang on to what you have right now, Max. You're young, both of you, and you have a relationship that's still free from all the shenanigans and lies that most of us stuck with. So, hold on to that purity, hold on to each other. When you start lying about who you are, who you love, because some people think that what you have is wrong and it’s a shame and that you have to put an act for the whole world to watch and believe… There’s no coming back from that.”  
  
He stopped talking for a while, looked at the emptiness before him like he was considering his next step in a game of chess. Apparently, staring at nothing had become a new hobby of Benni’s ever since he moved to Turin.  
  
“You can try to tell yourself that it’s alright,” he added with a slight agony in his voice, as if talking about this was like a punch to his heart. “It’s alright, that it’s just an act, and you may even succeed in convincing yourself and Leon that it’s alright for both of you to keep going with pretending. But it only takes a moment of recklessness for what you think is pretending to turn into reality.”  
  
“It’s not my place to tell you how to live your own life, and contrary to popular belief, I’m not your actual dad, but I’m saying this because you asked me for my advice. So I’m telling you this loud and clear, do not make the same mistakes we did. Do not lose what you have with each other simply because you’re worried about what some irrelevant people would think. It’s not worth it. In the end, it’s not worth it.”  
  
After that speech Benni gave, Max didn’t even know how to react, or what to think. He just scooted over to Benni and hugged him, completely ignoring his tears just like Benni had ignored his half an hour ago.  
  
They sat like that for god knows how long, not saying a word or moving a muscle. Once again, it was Max who broke the silence.  
  
“Benni,” he said while he straightened himself. “What actually happened, Benni? Why did you leave all of sudden? You didn’t even say goodbye.”  
  
The older man smiled to him, but it was a smile so vague that there was no real intention of smiling behind it. “You said it yourself, Max. Mats is having a baby.”  
  
  
  
They talked a little more after their much needed heart-to-heart, the majority of it included Max trash-talking Mats and Bayern Munich and of course, Joachim Löw. Benni just let him be, if ranting about the club which was about to take his boyfriend away is the thing that’d make Max feel better, he could rant about it all day long.  
  
The sun had started to set when Max decided that he should be going home. It was already 5 pm, and if the text he had sent earlier could be considered as a sign that he was actually on his way home, there was a good chance that Leon was waiting for him. He realized that he must had left his phone in his car, because his pockets were empty.  
  
“Lisa, dear, Max is leaving,” Benni shouted from the hallway. Then, he turned back to Max.  
  
“Don’t worry about it too much, okay? And promise me that you won’t forget what I said.”  
  
“I won’t, I promise,” Max said. “Also, Benni… I’m sorry about how I behaved after you left. I was being…”  
  
“Petty?” Benni completed his sentence. “Don’t worry, you had your reasons.”  
  
They hugged in the hallway, and a hug that long might be classified as uncomfortable at any other occasion, but not that moment. They only separated when Lisa came to say goodbye to Max.  
  
“Take this coat, Max, it’s so cold outside,” she said, urging Max to wear a coat obviously belonged to Bene. “Say hi to Leon from me, and come visit us in Turin. It’s so lovely at this time of year.”  
  
“I will, and we’ll try to visit, okay? Thanks for everything.”  
  
The Höwedes’ waited in their doorway till Max was inside of his car. His phone was abandoned on the passenger’s seat. As expected, it had tons of messages from Leon.  
  
Instead of texting him to tell that he was on his way, Max called his boyfriend.  
  
“Hi, love. Don’t worry, I was at Bene’s. I will be home soon.”

***

Max had no idea how he and Leon survived the days between January and March. There were times he just wanted to quit everything, to grab Leon’s hand and run away from Germany without telling anyone, to somewhere bright and shiny and far away. They could ditch their phones, wouldn’t even bother to buy new ones. Only with a suitcase full of colorful shirts and hopes, hand in hand, side by side, just like how it should be.

They could just live in the shadows for ten years, and everyone would speculate about what happened to the golden boys of Schalke. People could write theories about it, discussing how they disappeared without a trace all of a sudden. Max Meyer and Leon Goretzka, the hot topic in German, or maybe even European media for at least six months. And then, after six months, people would forget about them eventually. Just like that, they would fade away, only to light up somewhere else.

The only thing that held Max back from wishing on a shooting star for this dream to become a reality was the fact that Leon was too bright to fade away easily. He deserved to shine, and he deserved to do so in a place where everyone could benefit from the warmth he spread around.  


If Leon had to be in Munich to fulfill his potential, then Max would do anything in his power to make sure that he would be next to him in every step of the way.

(If someone asked Leon the same thing, he would say the exact same things about Max as well.)

For this reason, instead of running away from reality, Max simply embraced it. He hung on to what they have, just like Benni said. He held on to the purity Benni claimed that they still had, held on to Leon and the promises they made to each other. He held on to their love, even though he was terrified that someone would try to defile this marvelous thing they had. He memorized every single _I love you_ Leon said to him, didn’t leave his side for more than necessary despite the disapproving looks the business manager of Schalke shot him. He was just following his _dad’s_ advice.

Okay, to be fair, Benni was probably speaking figuratively when he’d said that Max should _hold on to what they have,_ but that didn’t stop him from seeking physical contact with Leon all the time. His boyfriend definitely had no problem with this more touchy-feely version of him; he even encouraged all the unexpected hugs or little touches Max was now so fond of. And that stupid little smile on Leon’s face whenever Max intertwined their fingers under the table in a slightly public place… god, Max was so fond of that smile that he wanted to bottle it up and carry around with him.

And they were even worse when they were in the privacy of their own home.

It was a casual afternoon for them, surprisingly they didn’t have any training, so Max and Leon had just been chilling in their living room. Max had a book in one hand, partly focused on the text and partly focused on the weight of his boyfriend’s head on his chest. His other hand had found its natural place among Leon’s curls at some point, and even though Leon’s bear hug was slightly too tight, he was definitely not complaining about that.

Leon broke the comfortable silence surrounding them with a sigh as he moved a little bit up to tuck his head under his boyfriend’s chin, and sighed some more. And he sighed again, and again, and again.

“Babe,” Max said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “If you want to say something, just say it, okay? Stop imitating a steam iron.” 

“You’ll be upset about it.”

This time Max closed his book, fully focused on Leon. “Goretzka?”

“Yes, love?” Leon answered.

“Don’t be an idiot, idiot.”

Leon straightened himself up a bit to maintain eye contact with his other half, straddled on his hips. He sighed once more.

“C’mon, tell me,” Max encouraged him some more. “What is it?”

“I need to go to Munich next week, when we have the two day break,” he said hesitantly. “For, you know, finding a place to rent. My agent sent to me a few options a few days ago, and I’m torn between two of them. So I need to go there and look for myself.”

Max let out a tiny chuckle at that. His boyfriend was absolutely the biggest dork he had ever seen in his life. “Really?, Did you think that I’d be upset about you not wanting to live on the streets?” he asked. “Baby, why would I be upset?”

Leon shrugged. “I don’t know…”

“Oh, come here,” Max pulled Leon on top of him for a cuddle. They stayed like that for a few minutes, trading occasional kisses from time to time. Max went back to his book, Leon back to doing nothing.

The taller man was about to fall asleep in that position, not because he was sleepy but because Max was goddamn comfy and he was playing with his curls once again. He only was drawn back to consciousness when his boyfriend decided to break the silence again.

“Well, to be fair, I’m a little upset.”

“What?” Leon asked in a panic. Suddenly he sounded fully awake for a man who’d been about to fall asleep ten seconds before.

“Of course, I’m a little upset. I’m sitting here, waiting for an invitation to go to the little house-hunting adventure of yours with you, and not getting any…” he said with an air of fake gloominess. “It’s breaking my heart, you know?”

“Ha ha ha, you’re so funny Meyer,” Leon said while rolling his eyes. “I was about to have a heart attack here. I thought you were serious for a minute.”

“Well, I _am_ serious about waiting an invitation.”

Leon’s face lit up in that instant. “Really? You would like to come with me?”

Max cracked a little smile at his boyfriend’s happiness. God, he was so fond of that enormous goofball in his lap. “Of course.”

***

Their house-hunting experience in Munich lasted only for 20 minutes, because they had two flats to consider and they were in the same building. The moment they stepped foot in the first one, both of the immediately declared that it was a _no, not gonna happen_ for them. It was on the first floor of the building and anyone who were passing by the street could see inside without any trouble. So, they went on with their second option instead.

It was a beautiful apartment on the last floor of the building, there were no other apartments in its floor so it was perfect for the discretion they had been looking for. The interior design was so on point that if Leon himself were to decorate this house, he would decorate it exactly like that. It was on the delicate balance between being hipster and chic, the sofas were so comfortable that Max immediately buried himself deep in them, the kitchen was equipped for him to cook his own meals. It was perfect for him _and Max, of course_ , the entire place was big enough to suffice, but not so big to make him feel too lonely whenever Max wouldn’t be able to be with him there.

After Leon had finished the paperwork with the real estate agent, they went back to their hotel because the penthouse needed a little cleaning before someone actually started to live in there. They had a light lunch on their way back, surprisingly, no one recognized them so the couple actually enjoyed their smoothie bowls and coffees. Max even dared to hold Leon’s hand right above the table, and Leon was completely surprised at his boldness. It was usually him being the reckless side of their relationship, so Max initiating a kinda-PDA was something that was completely new for them. To be honest, Leon eagerly welcomed this change of behavior.

“There’s something different about you,” Leon mumbled to him when they were lying in bed in their post-coital state, Max’s head cradled against his chest, running his fingers in between his ribs.

“Hmm…” the shorter man answered, his voice was still a little hoarse from how he used that mouth of his only fifteen minutes ago. “What’s different?”

“I don’t know. I guess you’re more… daring now.”

“That… is just because of something Benni told, about not letting what people think to ruin our love. So, I guess I just, went on with it? People can speculate about us or ask questions to us all they want, we’ll be fine. I’m so tired of being always tense whenever we go out or in front of the cameras, you know? ” Max said. “It may be a stupid plan, but it’s the most we can do without actually coming out, I guess? Are you mad at me?”

Leon didn’t respond to that, instead he pressed tiny kisses on top of his head, held Max tighter and just whispered countless _I love you’_ s to him. He could never be mad at the love of his life for wanting to do something like that, even though it was kind of terrifying and exciting at the same time. Also, Leon would be the biggest hypocrite in the world if he got mad at Max for this, considering it was the closest thing to what he wants the most in his life, being side by side with Max for the whole world to see. Maybe it wasn’t the whole movie he wanted to see now, but it was a great teaser which promised him an even greater movie.

“No, of course I’m not,” he said. “Also, Mats told me something similar like that.”

“When did you see Mats?” Max raised his head with curiosity.

“We’ve met when I came here to sign the contract. He was… gloomy, I guess? Kinda weird, too. Anyway, he gave me a bunch of advices about not getting a fake girlfriend or something like that. The most unnecessary advice I have gotten in my entire life, to be honest. As if I’d actually do such a thing.”

“You won’t?” Max asked.

“Of course I won’t. What were you thinking, Meyer?”

Max only shrugged.

“I swear to god, you call me an idiot all the time, meanwhile you’re no better than me at all,” he half-seriously reprimanded Max. “Now come on, get up, we need to book a dinner reservation.”The restaurant they were having dinner at was classy and luxurious enough for them to see a few people they knew from the DFB, but this didn’t stop Max from holding Leon’s hand under the table, only to let go of it when he decided to post a story on Instagram.

Since the beginning of their relationship, Max had always been the one who was more hesitant about being visible. He had always been more timid, more closed up when it came to his private life, tried not to let people in so much. Contrary to his boyfriend, he didn’t bother posting stories or photos on Instagram so much, simply because he resented the fact that they would never be able to use their accounts like normal people would. He wanted to share the little things in their lives, and if he wasn’t allowed to share a video of a topless Leon Goretzka murdering their kitchen while preparing breakfast, then there were be no real reason for him to use that stupid thing anyway.

But at that moment, he wanted to share this moment with everyone, and his followers were a good place to begin. The table was set pretty nicely and Leon looked so hot with his white shirt, completely focused on squeezing lemon onto his edamame. It would be a shame if he hadn’t posted the boomerang he made, so he went ahead and pressed that “share” button.

When they were on their way back to their current home, boarded and ready to take off, Max nudged Leon a little to catch his attention. “I wanna take a selfie.”

So his part-time football player, part-time unofficial Insta model boyfriend posed enthusiastically, only to ask a question that Max used to ask all the time whenever Leon himself took a selfie of them.

“What if someone adds two and two together and finds out we were in Munich?”

“How are they supposed to do that? Based on the dumplings we had for dinner or the arm rests of this plane? Considering those are the only hints in my stories. And your edamame, of course. Pfft…” he shook his head. “And if some genius actually manages to do that, well, good for them. Now, I really need my nap, can you please be a generous boyfriend and let me use you as a pillow?”

“Since when you’re asking permission to use me as a pillow? You’ve been doing that since we were fourteen.”

“You’re talking too much, Goretzka,” Max said while yawning.

“Kiss me goodnight and maybe I’ll shut up,” Leon demanded after quickly checking if anyone was watching them. Max did so in an instant, accompanied with a barely audible “I love you, Goretzka.”

“I love you, too, Meyer.”

***

Leon Goretzka scored his first goal with Bayern Munich in mid-September against Bayer Leverkusen. He celebrated his goal with forming a seven with his hands. No one really understood why he did that, but it wasn’t for them to understand. But when Max saw it, it made him smile wider than he’d had ever since they’d been separated.

Max Meyer scored his first goal after leaving Schalke only one day after Leon’s first goal with Bayern Munich, and he celebrated it making an 8 with his hands. Not everyone connected the dots between his and Leon’s choice of goal celebrations, but people started speculating about this after they made a habit of doing so.

Considering the fact that Leon’s 7 and Max’s 8 became a thing they always did after scoring a goal, they had all those rumors coming.

Tons of reporters and fans and journalists asked both of them about this on multiple occasions, but Leon and Max always only shrugged, gave them a tiny smile and decided not to answer those questions. They had every right to do so, and if people were so curious about the reason behind their gestures, they had to wait for a good ten to fifteen years to find out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few quick notes:
> 
> 1\. The photo of Leon's weird face in his transfer announcement photo can be found [ here ](https://fcbayern.com/en/news/2018/01/press-release-fcb-sign-leon-goretzka).
> 
> 2\. The house I chose for Leon is [ here. ](https://tr.pinterest.com/pin/741194051144502111/)
> 
> 2\. The first story Max shared is [ this ](http://leonhoeretzka.tumblr.com/post/171769329498/thats-what-im-talking-about-via-ig) and the airplane selfie is [this. ](http://leonhoeretzka.tumblr.com/post/171800744137/love-schalke1904-max-via-instagram-story) If you're not familiar with these posts, they were really shared by Max Meyer back to back, if I2m not remembering it wrong, it was the beginning of March. 
> 
> 3\. I have my reasons to believe that Max's stories are from Munich, don't ask me how I'm sure about this but I'M 97% SURE. (thanks to the dumplings and arm rest and edamame)(if you're so curious about how I came to this conclusion, message me on tumblr)
> 
> 4\. Feedbacks/Kudos are always appreciated. Also, you can find me on [ tumblr. ](http://leonhoeretzka.tumblr.com)


End file.
